The Classic
Photographic Process

The dictionary defines classic as "a simple, elegant style not greatly subject to change, judged over a period of time to be the highest quality and outstanding of its kind." I think this is a great definition of fine black and white photographs made on film and printed in the darkroom.  I have no grudge against digital imaging; some incredible work is being done either completely digitally or in a hybrid analog-digital workflow. Some of my best friends have "gone digital," and no barroom brawls have ensued among us. I shoot  portrait and wedding work digitally; and yes, I even used a digital camera and Adobe Photoshop to illustrate this page. I simply view cameras and processes as tools to achieve a desired outcome, and I find that the classic photographic process allows me to better express my vision. Happily, I also enjoy working with these materials more, and get greater satisfaction from practicing the craftsmanship that is required to produce traditional silver gelatin photographs. For these reasons, all of the photographs in my fine print portfolios were made with the classic photographic process.

Most of the photographs were made with a medium format camera; a few were made on a 4" x 5" view camera, and fewer still with a 35mm camera, all on black and white film. I develop all of my film in my darkroom, and hand print and process each photograph. All prints are processed to archival standards, and are then mounted and matted on museum grade board, and framed by me. Taking responsibility for every step from visualizing an image to its final presentation is one of the things that draws me to classic photography.

Since my tool of choice is the Hasselblad medium format camera that makes 2-1/4" square negatives, I strive to maintain the square format when printing. And as I have come to appreciate smaller prints that invite more intimate viewing, I usually make prints that measure approximately 7-1/4" square. If the composition is strengthened by cropping the final image into a rectangle, the longest dimension is 7-1/4", and the shorter dimension is what the picture needs it to be. Prints from 4" x 5" negatives are typically 9-1⁄4" in the longest dimension.